Gear Rattle during a start-up transient in a driveline equipped with a tuneable torsional Vibration Damper with Magneto-Rheological Elastomers

The paper reports a numerical investigation on the dynamic behaviour of a vehicle driveline, equipped with a Torsional Vibration Damper (TVD) based on Magneto-Rheological Elastomeric (MRE) spring elements, during the start-up transient considering an abrupt manoeuvre of clutch engagement. The TVD device consists of a flywheel and a damper disk, with interposed some elastomeric samples which react for relative angular displacements of the two disks. The dynamical parameters of the TVD can be properly tuned by varying the magnetic field surrounding the MRE springs to mitigate the torsional oscillations of the flywheel, causes of many undesired inconveniences as critical speeds or vibro-acoustic issues. The present study promotes the use of the MRE torsional vibration damper to reduce the annoying vibroacoustic phenomenon of “gear rattle” arising in the unloaded gear pairs of the gear box, during and after the rapid clutch engagement transients in the vehicle start-up phase and is conducted on a simplified automotive driveline equipped with a dry clutch. The possibility of quickly tuning the mechanical properties of the MRE-TVD, makes this device particularly eligible for suppressing the above disturbance, adapting to the various operative conditions of the automotive driveline. Results of the analysis, by the help of a Gear Rattle Index (GRI), demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed device in reducing the vibroacoustic phenomenon during the transient phases of the vehicle start-up, until the vehicles speed conditions are reached.

Grey relation analysis of natural frequency and semi-active robust optimal control of a multi-dimensional isolator based on parallel mechanism and magneto-rheological damper

For isolating multi-dimensional vibrations experienced by precise facilities carried on a vehicle, a novel isolator is proposed based on 2-RPC/2-SPC parallel mechanism with magneto-rheological dampers. Kinematics and dynamics of the isolator are analyzed by geometrics and the Lagrange method. Grey relation analysis approach is conducted to determine the contributions of geometric parameters on natural frequency conveniently. Through analysis, the first order natural frequency of the isolator is affected by the length of the fixed platform most significantly. Due to manufacturing and assembling errors which could not be avoided in the isolator, robust optimal control algorithm is conducted to ensure control effect and robustness of the isolator at the same time. The gain of robust optimal control algorithm is obtained by deducing and solving linear matrix inequality. Compared to passive control, velocity root mean square values of robust optimal semi-active control decreased obviously in horizontal, longitudinal, vertical, and roll directions.

Morphological Analysis of Unstructured and Prestructured Magneto-rheological Elastomer

By providing or not put on a magnetic flux, a magneto rheological (MR) elastomer becomes a very powerful and advanced smart material that could be twisted and responded hurriedly in relations of mechanical strength. They are elastomer materials with embedded iron elements in an elastomer environment. Isotropic(unstructured) and anisotropic(prestructured) MR elastomers are categorized built on the submission of a magnetic flux during in the fabrication process. The scattering of magnetizable elements in the medium of an elastomer is well defined and arranged by kind. Scanning Electron Microscopy(SEM) had revealed their shape. They should be employed in a variability of solicitations payable to their improved morphological characteristics, such as pulsation absorbers, isolators, seismic devices, and so on. Keywords: Smart material, magneto rheological elastomer, carbonyl iron particles, morphology, scanning electron microscopy

Adaptive backstepping sliding mode control design for vibration suppression of earth-quaked building supported by magneto-rheological damper

In this study, the design of adaptive backstepping sliding mode control (ABSMC) has been developed for vibration suppression of earth-quaked building supported by magneto-rheological (MR) damper. The control and adaptive laws developed based on ABSMC methodology has been established according to stability analysis based on Lyupunov theorem. A Single degree of freedom (SDOF) building system has been considered and the earthquake acceleration data used in performance analysis of the proposed controller is based on El Centro Imperial Valley Earthquake. The ABSMC has been compared to classical sliding mode control in terms of vibration suppression in the controlled system subjected to earthquake. The performance of proposed controller has been assessed via computer simulation, which showed its effectiveness to stabilize the building against earthquake vibration and the boundness of estimated stiffness and viscosity coefficients.

Magnetic behavior of Magneto-Rheological Foam under Uniaxial Compression Strain

This study reports the development of a Magneto-Rheological Foam, which consists in a porous matrix filled by ferromagnetic particles. The porous matrix of such a composite being easily deformable, large magnetic properties changes are expected. The measurements of the magnetic properties of such a Magneto-Rheological Foam submitted to a compressive strain are reported. Main aspect of the magnetic properties is the low field magnetic permeability as the function of the compression and filling factor. Then, larger field magnetization measurement allowed to investigate the saturation field as a function of the filling factor. Because of the large amount of pores in the material, the magnetic relative permeability, µr, is quite small (µr ~1). However, these materials can be easily deformed over a large range of strain providing important relative variation of the magnetic properties under mechanical solicitation. The composite magnetic permeability is increasing under compression for all the considered filling factors. A model is then developed to understand the variation of the permeability with the strain. Hence, from a simple concept consisting of taking advantage of high deformation of foams, the present study demonstrates the interest of such a highly compressible while cheap composite for obtaining a large magneto-rheological effect.